Chelsea vs. Manchester United headlines English soccer this Thursday (April 4) at Stamford Bridge in the 31st round of the Premier League. Kickoff is set for 3:15 p.m. ET (4:15 p.m. Brasília time). Both teams, however, are far from the title race. The Blues sit 12th in the table with 40 points, while the Red Devils are sixth with 48 points.
The “failure” of these clubs can be measured at roughly $2.6 billion, the amount they have spent on signings over the last five years. That’s the biggest investment by any clubs in England during that period. Chelsea leads the spending ranking between 2019 and 2024 with a total of €1.49 billion (about $1.6 billion). Manchester United, meanwhile, spent €908.1 million (about $985 million).
Despite the massive spending on signings, the return on the field in the Premier League hasn’t lived up to expectations. Chelsea’s best league finish was third in the 2021/22 season, while Manchester United’s best was second place in 2020/21.
Both teams watched Liverpool lift the trophy in 2019/20, followed by Manchester City’s dominance with titles in each of the last three seasons (2020/21, 2021/22 and 2022/23). The title race is currently between Liverpool (67 points), Arsenal (65) and Manchester City (64), with just eight rounds left in the competition.
To win three titles in a row, Manchester City spent €896.7 million (about $970 million) on signings, the third-biggest outlay in the period.
Liverpool, despite spending less, has had more success. The club ranked only tenth in spending on signings, behind Arsenal, Tottenham, Aston Villa, Newcastle, West Ham and Wolverhampton. Over the last five years, manager Jürgen Klopp has had €495.75 million (about $535 million) for signings, according to Transfermarkt data.
Chelsea hasn’t won the Premier League since the 2016/17 season, while Manchester United’s drought goes back even further, to 2012/13. Their current form could leave both clubs out of European competitions such as the Champions League and the Europa League next season.
In Brazil, Chelsea vs. Manchester United will air on ESPN (cable) and Star+ (streaming).
Upcoming games: Chelsea:
- Manchester United (H) – Apr. 4, 3:15 p.m. ET – Premier League
- Sheffield United (A) – Apr. 7, 12:30 p.m. ET – Premier League
- Everton (H) – Apr. 15, 3 p.m. ET – Premier League
Manchester United:
- Chelsea (A) – Apr. 4, 3:15 p.m. ET – Premier League
- Liverpool (H) – Apr. 7, 10:30 a.m. ET – Premier League
- Bournemouth (A) – Apr. 13, 12:30 p.m. ET – Premier League
